Today's post is going to be about living simply. Sometimes we forget about the important things in life and just hurry, hurry, hurry into more, more more. We need to work more to make more to have more. When you stop and think about it, you realize that somewhere along the way, you lost sight of what was important and just wanted STUFF.
Grab a cuppa, sit back as I explain how we started living a life of simplicity and learned to stay away from societal pressures to buy more...more...more...
From the get-go we have been all about living a simple life in service of our Lord. My wedding rings are nothing flashy at all, in fact they are quite simple and after seeing all of the rocks on Pinterest, mine would certainly pale in comparison. For me it wasn't the rock, it was the story. My then boyfriend and I were antiquing one weekend and I pointed out an Estate Ring that looked just like one my grandmother used to own. I looked at it several times and even tried it on. It was pretty but not something I wanted to drop money on at the time. It held memories that made me smile when I slipped it on. 1 year later I was engaged to that boyfriend and when he proposed I was crying from seeing THAT ring in the box. Yes, I was overwhelmed by the proposal but the simple fact that he remembered something that was just a fleeting moment was enough to make me lose control of all emotion. When life improved for us as my husband climbed up the corporate ladder, talk of him replacing my ring would come up. He said I deserved something bigger, something better...but you know what? This is the best thing ever. I won't lie and say that I didn't consider some of those rocks out there but then I realized WHY? The bigger the diamond, the bigger the love? The pricier the bauble the more value our relationship? Simple and with meaning. This was to become our motto. One that we would lose sight of quickly and often.
We were married in Disney World. Not inexpensive by any means, especially when you tag in 75 of our most loved family members. It was a dream wedding that didn't put us in any financial trouble, because we paid cash for it all. I will say though that it was a lot of money to spend on one day. I don't regret anything when it comes to that magical moment in our life but I wore 2 dresses, had 2 ceremonies, 2 receptions and was gone for almost 1 month staying in hotels, going on a Disney Cruise and so much more that I think we began to lose sight of what we were truly there for. It's not about the Wedding but about the Marriage. We came back from that wedding and knew it was time to buckle down and think straight about where we wanted to go in life.
When talk came of us buying a home, we were all over the map. We had 3 kids and knew it was time to upgrade our current living situation where we were so comfortable and settled and happy. The kids needed a bigger yard, larger playroom. It was out of control. We were looking at 5 bedroom homes with mortgages that would put us at the edge of our rope monthly. We already knew the children would be in private school, so that money was set aside at least. Looking at beautiful homes was fun and we even made offers on many of them. We just kept getting out bid and always realized that it wasn't meant to be. In the end we stopped and realized what kind of a life would we be leading just to have the largest home? The prettiest home? Does that make it the Happiest Home? What would be the point if we had to work to make Money instead of Memories? We counted our pennies and realized that it was time to live on our own terms and make something our own. We bought a home that could even be considered a cottage. There is room for everyone to have their own room and a playroom but you know what? We spend most of our time playing games in front of the fireplace or snuggled on ONE couch watching movies. We have the happiest home and to us, it is the largest and most beautiful. We put our own marking on each and every room in the house and still have more to go but we are having fun with it. Hot chocolate on the screen porch is where we discuss our days, our tiny kitchen is where the entire family crams in to discuss our plans for the morning. Yes, memories are being made and I am so happy that we decided to reign it all in for something that was 'just right'.
How are you living a life of simplicity?
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